The desires of Christmas
have long been forgotten
Each year in America the
Christmas season seems to lose a
little bit of its “spirit.” Love,
somehow, is overwhelmed by
monetary transactions; the
desire to receive is stronger than
the desire to give. Unfortunately,
Black America is also a part of
this capitalistic snobbishness.
Wouldn’t it be great if on
Christmas Day all the people of
the world would stand and say to a
sister or a brother, to a relative or
a friend or to someone they don’t
even know, “I love you.” It used
to be that way, but it’s a tradition
that has “gone with the wind.”
Wouldn’t it be great if on
Christmas Day the younger
population would just drive to the
nearest rest home and provide for
the elderly, their roots, a caring
affection? It used to be that way,
but America no longer has time
for the old. In fact, America now
looks down upon the old.
Wouldn’t it be great if on
Christmas Day we would all drive
to a prison or a hospital and help
to bring a little joy and happiness
to those in bondage and to those in
affliction? It used to be that way,
but people in this country are now
too embarrassed to be seen with
prisoners and have too much
pride to be around the sick.
Wouldn’t it be great if on
Christmas Day we could all
awaken and discover we’re
suddenly free? Well, it has never
been that way but let’s continue to
struggle until we receive that gift.
Wouldn’t it be great if on
Christmas Day we would not take
the Christ out of Christmas?
That’s what Christmas is all
about.
Plaudits go to .
. Bevelyn Parham, whose diligence as director of the Opeyo Dancers led
the goup to having one of their most successful and entertaining per
formances in years.
. The Bread of Life Ministry’s Souvenir Book Committee, for having that
burning desire and faith to produce in two months what an apathetic Black
community will not help to prduce in one year—a mini-yearbook.
. Lillie Love, for her great industriousness and enthusiasm in the planning
of this year’s Ms. BSM Coronation Ball.
. John “Skip” Harper, whose unselfish devotion of his time directly
contributed to the success of this year’s National Achievement Weekend.
. Cathy Alston, who has charismatically proven that a freshman and a
Morehead Scholar can be a vital force in the upkeeping of the UNC Black
community.
. The Break of Life Ministry’s Basketball Game Committee, who showed
that Blacks and whites, fraternities, sororities and Christian fellowships can
have fun together.
. The five Central Committee members who were recently baptized.
J«
MM!: HI \
Page 11
Staff photo by Sarah Littlejohn
^The chick is bad*
By ALLEN JOHNSON
Co-Editor
She was a nice-looking chick ... big
eyes, rich brown complexion, small curly
^0.
And her shape . .. Lord have mercy it
must’ve been a good year when they put
this one together. There was just enough of
everything everywhere and this chick
knew it, too.
Sure, she pretended to be shy and nice
and quiet and all that crap, but I knew
better (crafty connoisseur of fine females
that I am).
I slid over nice and cool like in my Flagg
Bros, highrise fashions, striked my beard
with my left hand and said in my
characteristically suave and sophisticated
tone, “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure
of making your acquaintance.”
Now, in most instances, young ladies
instantaneously melt when I greet them,
but this chick tried to maintain her cool.
She looked up and replied (attempting
desperately to cover the fact that she was
dazzled). “No, I don’t believe I have met
you.”
Well, we passed through the usual
amenities—hey - how - ya - doin’ - I’m ■
from - Greens^ro - oh - you - are - too - do -
you - know - Joe - Blow - no - but - do - you -
know - Suzy - Doe?
I could, at this point, easily discern that
the young lady was in an intense state of
anxiety as to whether I would accept or
reject her, so I promptly put her mind at
ease.
“Hey, these parties can sometimes be
rather annosdng,” I said, injecting a
careful dose of intellectualism into my
conversation. “The atmosphere is not
quite, shall we say, conducive to intimate
social intercourse. How would you like to
take a little late-night cruise in my TR-7?”
This, I knew would excite her, but as I
instinctively reached for my car keys, she
said rather flatly, “Nope. No thanks. I’m?
with someone.”
And suddenly out of the woodwork i
comes this little pip-squeak with bifocals
and an “I’d Rather Be In Chapel Hill” t-
shirt on. I couldn’t believe that anyone as
tall and handsome and irresistible (and
modest about it, too) as me could be taken
out by THAT!
As the chick got up to leave with the
pipsqueak I mumbled in disbelief, “I don’t
understand it. I just don’t understand it.
How could she pick him over me? How?
What could he possibly have that I don’t
have?”
The chick turned around and answered,
“Honesty, Hal, and ME.”
“Who cares about honesty?” I said.
“I’ve got women on top of women and the
last thing I had to use was honesty. What
do you know anyway? You blew your big
opportunity for yourself. You’ll regret it.”
She turned and walked away.
“And one more thing,” I said, “The
name’s AL.”
Don’t overlook Bakke issues, Part One
Kay Sellars
It is interesting that those who criticize
the ideas of Alan Bakke always seem to
dwell upon the superficial aspects of the
case, the minute details of the case, the
logic of particular aspects of the case. It is
interesting to note that Bakke was refused
admission to other medical schools or that
other white students who were amditted
had scores lower than he did. Yes, these
BMCK INK
Volume 10, No. 6
The essence of freedom is understanding.
Allen Johnson and
Lonza Hardy, Jr.
Co-Editors
Beverly Wells
Managing Editor
Vanessa Siddle
News Editor
Teresa Dixon and
Elliot Lynch
Co-Advertising Managers
Annie Ruffin
Exchange E-ditor
Lillie Love
Arts Editor
David Squires
Sports Editor
BernaDine Ward
Features Editor
James Parker
Photography Editor
■ Black Ink is published bi-weekly by the Black Student Movement,Suite B, Frank Porterj
jraham Student Union, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,N.C. 27514.
ideas are interesting, but trivial. They are
trivial in the sense that they are stated
under the assumption that the foundation
of Bakke’s argument is valid. They seem
to be implying, “Yes, it may be reverse
discrimination, but one should also be
aware of this or that.” My critique of
Bakke’s argument stems from the
assumption that its very foundation is
invaUd and is a distortion of the history
and current situation of Black people in
this country.
In the early developmental years of this
country, the fact that our skin color is
different from that of white people was
used as a means of keeping Black people
from doing much more than subsisting
from day to day. A system of slavery,
philosophically-based upon and per
petuated by assumptions of our racial
inferiority, was adopted; we were forced
to exist at a marginal position in the
capitalist system.
The assumption of inferiority was ex
tended to the culture of Black people, as
well. To whites, we were different,
therefore, inferior. When slavery was
abolished by law, one of the major in
stitutional means of creating an illusion of
Black people’s inferiority was taken away.
Black people had the opportunity
(legally) to demonstrate that, although
they were different, they were not inferior.
However, masses of Black people were
obstructed in this goal because white
people devised means of tying them up in
economic binds (e.g., sharecropping) or
flagrantly disobeyed the new law. Also,
social, religious, and lingual customs,
values, and policies served to perpetuate
the illusion of inferiority which existed.
In the meantime, nev laws were put into
effect which prevented Black people from
even attempting to earn a living com
parable to that of whites, and therefore,
prevented them from demonstrating that
they were equal. By this time, the illusion
of inferiority was further institutionalized
and extended to all aspects of the white
world—economics, language, religion,
housing, education, politics, law, social
values and customs, etc., etc. In other
words, Black people were forced to be
different (and, therefore, seemed “in
ferior”) in all areas of life, in addition to
race and culture.
The history of Black people in America,
then, has been one of RACISM. It has not
been a history based upon individual
prejudice or discrimination. The op
pression of Black people has been
systematic, pervasive, controlled, and
institutional. Granted, there may have
been discrimination in favor of a minute
number of lighter-skinned Blacks.
(Continued on page 121